Q: How do you know that a saxophone player is intelligent?A: When they understand the whole fingering chart, except for the L.th and R.th.

Okay, so the average sax player isn't that stupid. However, that well-known band joke does have some truth to it... fingering charts can be very confusing. When learning to play a wind instrument, your best friend will definitely be your fingering chart. This handy piece of paper should always be included in your music folder, as it shows all the notes in your instrument's range, as well as a fingering (or often, multiple fingerings) to play each note. They can be a bit difficult to understand at first, though, especially if you're unfamiliar with the instrument. Luckily, not all is lost. If you know how to get started, it shouldn't take you too long to get the hang of it.

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Steps

1

Obtain a fingering chart. You may be able to get one from your band director, or you can find one in most method books. However, keep in mind that some very, very beginning books may not have a complete chart, as they'd leave out notes that you probably wouldn't be learning that early on (mainly altissimo notes). If you don't mind this, go right ahead and find any chart that will do. Otherwise, you'll need to be more selective. You can also find charts on the internet (see below).

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2

Read the key. Most charts come with a diagram of the instrument showing the symbols that correspond with each hole or key, sometimes as part of the chart, and sometimes as a separate page. Especially if you're not very familiar with the system of the instrument, this is a very important thing to do. Otherwise, you'll take one look at the fingering chart and be instantly confused.

3

Look at the chart. While fingering charts can come in many formats, the most common, especially in less advanced method books, consists of little boxes for each note, containing either diagrams of the instrument or little circles and funny shapes used to represent the keys with some areas darkened out or colored.

4

Interpret the information. There are several things that you'll need to keep in mind when actually reading the chart.

Unless otherwise indicated, the dark or colored symbols indicate a pressed key or covered hole. On some instruments that require half-hole fingerings (where only half the hole is covered), this will be indicated by a half-filled circle instead of a completely colored one.

When more than one fingering is listed, the first is usually the most common. The others are alternate fingerings, which may be useful for trills or correcting pitch. Some charts will actually indicate this with a symbol or footnote under certain fingerings. For instance, if a note is known to be somewhat flat or sharp on most instruments, there may be an alternate fingering that can correct this.

Some more detailed fingering charts will give other advice to sharpen or flatten a note slightly. Be sure to read the small print. They may also offer tips for sustaining tone when playing softer, such as covering half holes.

If you're unsure where certain registers end and others begin, some charts will shade in or somehow separate the altissimo or lower registers from the "normal" range. This is also an indication of what notes might be "harder" than others.

5

Warm up and start playing your instrument. Keep a fingering chart handy... you never know when you'll need it!

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Tips

Keep a copy of a good fingering chart in your music folder at all times. Logically, it would make sense to put it in next to a scale sheet, which is one thing that it may often need to be used for.

In lieu of a written copy of the scale, a fingering chart can be useful when learning the chromatic scale.

There are also fingering charts for trills, which show the trill (ex. A/B), a fingering, and a different-colored symbol, which indicates the key or hole you should move rapidly to execute the trill.

Warnings

Keep in mind that the diagram on the chart will be set up as if you were holding the instrument in front of you, backwards (facing the opposite way that it would if you were playing). Especially with side keys that are piled on top of each other, make sure you're reading the chart right, or you may get confused and use the wrong one.

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